William N. Alsop Who Was Assassinated And His Wife Maggie Shively Who Lived In Jefferson County, Kentucy

Wm. N. Alsop Stone - Shively Cemetery, Jefferson County, KY
Courtesy Of Walter Shively

The stone says W N Alsop MD DDS, Born Nov. 23, 1855, Assassinated, July 12, 1899.  Walter Shively, New Albany, IN told the Shively cousins of the story  of the assassination of William N. Alsop who is buried in the Shively Cemetery in Jefferson County, KY. William N. Alsop married Maggie Shively in Jefferson County, KY on 3-September-1879.  Maggie Shively was the daughter of William Henry Shively and Margaret Jones.  She was the granddaughter of Henry Shively and third wife, Maria Hambleton (Hamilton) Parker. Maggie Shively was the great-granddaughter of Christian Shively and Mary Bashore.

Located in The Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY, Thursday Morning, July 13, 1899, Page 5, Column 6:                                         DEATHS

ALSOP -- July 12, at Shaw, Miss., Dr. W. N. Alsop

Due notice of funeral in Louisville will be given.

Located in The Courier-Journal, Friday Morning, July 14, 1899, Page 5, Column 6:

Shot Down

Dr. W. N. Alsop Victim Of Three Assasins

Enticed From His Home

Filled Full Of Bullets And Buckshot In A Woods

Sequel To An Old Quarrel

Body Brought To Louisville From Cleveland, Miss., Where The Tragedy Happened

Formerly Practiced Here

Dr. W. N. Alsop, who for many years practiced medicine in Louisville, was most foully murdered at Cleveland, Miss., Wednesday morning about 11 o'clock.  The circumstances surrounding the killing are remarkable for the cold-blooded way in which the victim was shot down.

The body of Dr. Alsop was brought to Louisville last night, arriving here at 10:25 over the Illinois Central.  The widow and a son accompanied the body.

Dr. Alsop had for the past ten years been practicing his profession at Shaws, a small Mississippi town. Wednesday morning he received a telegram from Cleveland, a small town fifteen miles distant from Shaws, summoning him to that town.  The telegram said that the case was an urgent one, and requested him to come as quickly as possible.  When he arrived at Cleveland he was met by an unknown man, who drove him to the outskirts of the town.  There they were joined by two other men, who drew their revolvers and calmly told the doctor that they intended to kill him.  Dr. Alsop pleaded with them and tried in every way possible to pacify them.

They were determined, however, that he should die and would not listen to his entreaties. Dr. Alsop told them that he was unarmed and could not fight them and that it would be a plain case of murder if they killed him.  They then told him that he would be given an opportunity to fight for this life.  They gave him permission to go and arm himself upon his solemn promise to return.  When he returned, all three opened fire upon him.  One of them was armed with a shot gun and their victim fell at the first volley.  The men escaped and the body of the dead man was found a few minutes later by a passer-by, who was attracted by the shooting.  Life was already extinct and an examination showed that twenty-two buckshot had entered the dead man's right side.  Three pistol balls also struck him, two in the right side and one in the neck.

One of the men named Williams was afterwards captured and after a cross-examination confessed.  He refused, however, to tell who the other two men were. The body of Dr. Alsop was removed to Shaw's and when his former fellow-townsmen heard of the cowardly assassination public opinion ran high, and it was plain that the indignant citizens would organize a posse and lynch the guilty parties if caught.

The cause of the shooting is said to date back several years.  Some years ago, Dr. Alsop was conversing with an old man who conducted a grocery store near Shaws. The son of a rich old planter with two companions came to the store, and after a quarrel with the old man assaulted him.  Dr. Alsop interfered and administered a severe chastising to the rich young planter.  The latter left the store swearing vengeance.  Early next morning, he called on the doctor and informed him that one of the two "would eat breakfast in he_ _".

At this, both drew their revolvers and opened fire.  The shot fired by the doctor struck his antagonist and killed him instantly.  At the trial which followed, Dr. Alsop was dismissed.  The young man's father said that he would yet be avenged.

The deceased formerly practiced medicine in Louisville and had ann office at Fifth and Walnut streets.  About ten years ago he left Louisville, going to Shaws, Miss., where he purchased a plantation.  He developed into quite a hunter, and many of his Louisville friends visited him yearly to enjoy the hunting about Shaws.  He was a son-in-law of W. H. Shively, who formerly had a position in the County Sheriff's office.

The body was brought to Louisville last night and the funeral will take place this morning from Cralle's undertaking establishment.  The burial will be in Shively's private burying ground at Mill Creek.

Further information regarding the assassination of W. N. Alsop was extracted from The Courier-Journal, Saturday Morning, July 22, 1899, Page 12, Column 5:

In A Duel

Dr. Alsop Was Killed After A Quarrel

Slain By Harry Williams

Latter Used Shotgun While Alsop Had A Pistol

The Story In Detail

Harry Williams, the slayer of Dr. W. N. Alsop, was given a preliminary hearing at Cleveland, Miss., the scene of the killing, last week.  The story which was brought out at the trial differed in several ways from that heretofore published.

The testimony showed that Dr. Alsop was killed by Harry Williams, and not by three or four unknown men, who decoyed their victim to Cleveland.

The following account of the murder is taken from the Cleveland, Miss., Enterprise:

"A preliminary hearing is in progress here for the killing last Wednesday afternoon of Dr. W. N. Alsop, a prominent citizen of Shaw, by Harry Williams, of this place.

"The details leading up to the tragedy, insofar as we have been able to discover them, place the origin of the trouble some months back, and constitute certain criticisms and reflections upon Harry Williams, of this place, made by Dr. Alsop, together with the threat to kill him.  These remarks were made in the presence of a friend of Mr. Williams, who repeated them to  him.  Later, however, they were denied by Dr. Alsop, and the three men met in the City Drug Store here last Wednesday, when an understanding was sought.

"Failing to satisfactory adjust the trouble, Mr. Williams demanded of him to draw his gun, and they would settle it then and there.  Dr. Alsop stated that he was unarmed; whereupon he was told to go and get a weapon.  He went away, saying that he would do so and return.

"About an hour later he came down Main street with Hon. Oscar McGuire, of Rosedale.  At the corner of McCorkle street, they turned off to the railroad track and walked toward the station.  As they came from behind a flat car, which was standing in the yards, Dr. Alsop was seen to have a pistol in his hand.

"Mr. Williams, who was standing in the door of his butcher shop, stepped out upon the sidewalk and called to Mr. McGuire to get away, as he did not wish him to be harmed.  Mr. McGuire immediately ran on down the track, and the two shots rang out at about the same time.  There is no doubt but that Dr. Alsop was fatally wounded by the first shot, as he was seen to stagger forward a few steps and sink to a stooping position, with his pistol laid across one arm, in the attitude of taking deliberate aim.  It is the opinion of those who saw him, however, that he did not discharge his weapon.  He raised to his feet, reeled around, and fell.  Williams used a shotgun loaded with buckshot, and Alsop had a 45-caliber Colt's pistol.

"At some time during the fray Hon. Oscar McGuire was struck twice, once in the left elbow and a glancing shot on the forehead.  Just when and how he received them is not known to anyone save him.  Neither is supposed to e of a dangerous character.

"Mr. Alsop was picked up in an unconscious condition and carried into the station. Dr. L. B. Sparkman made an examination of him, but before he had completed same he died."

Extracted from The Courier-Journal, Wednesday Morning, July 26, 1899, Page 4, Column 6:

Still Another Account

Eye Witness Tells Of The Killing Of Dr. Alsop -- No Chance

To Defend Himself

There are so many conflicting stories concerning the murder of Dr. Alsop that it is almost impossible to distinguish between the true and false.  The last and one which is believed to be the true account of the murder was published last week in the Bolivar County (Arkansas) Democrat.  The article is headed "A Foul Assassination," and was written by O. G. McGuire, who was with Dr. Alsop when he was killed.

The article says that Dr. Alsop, who lived at Shaw, went to Cleveland to assist McGuire in obtaining the candidacy for State Senator.  He and Harry Williams had a quarrel shortly after the arrival of the doctor, and the latter had fears for his life.  A short time after this Dr. Alsop and McGuire passed a grocery in which Williams and several of his friends were sitting.  They and proceeded only a short distance when several shots were fired, and Dr. Alsop fell, mortally wounded.  He lived only a short time.  His assassins kept on firing after he had fallen, and McGuire was struck by several shots.  There were several in the party who fired on Dr. Alsop, and McGuire says they were armed with revolvers, shotguns and rifles.